Georgia’s IDPs in focus at human rights meeting in Geneva
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A top Georgian official responsible for the welfare of the country’s Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) is telling the international community about the ongoing issues facing these people resulting from Russia’s aggressing on Georgian soil.
Georgia’s Minister of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Accommodation and Refugees of Georgia, Sozar Subari, is taking part in the 66th meeting of the Executive Committee of Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Geneva.
There the Minister is teaching the international community about the complications Georgia’s IDPs face on a daily basis due to Russia’s ongoing provocation in the country’s two occupied areas Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia).
At @Refugees#ExCom#Georgia's #IDP Minister Subari stressed the right of GEO IDPs 2 return 2 their homes @MFAgovgepic.twitter.com/W3tuEMl75R
— Georgia UN/Geneva (@GeorgiaGeneva) October 6, 2015
Subari, who intended to remain in Geneva until the end of the week, has already delivered a speech before the UN Refugee Agency, the body mandated to protect and support refugees at the request of a government or the UN itself and assist in their voluntary repatriation, local integration or resettlement to a third country.
Minister Subari stressed the majority of Georgian IDPs forced from the currently-occupied Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) were living in poor conditions. He appealed to the international community to support Georgia in settling ongoing problems and protecting the rights of Georgian citizens who lived near the so-called Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) and constantly had their rights violated by the Russian occupying side.
Additionally, the Minister spoke about domestic problems in Georgia, the international migration complications and stressed Georgia and its people supported the European Union (EU) proposal to jointly support those who had been forced from their homes in Syria, Iraq, Ukraine and other conflict areas.
Subari said various amendments had been introduced into Georgian legislation to get the country prepared for visa free travel with the EU.
Afterwards, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Gutierres evaluated Subari’s speech and praised Georgia for its domestic and foreign policies concerning IDPs and refugees, the Georgian Ministry announced.
The United Nations (UN) General Assembly has adopted its eighth resolution recognising the right of safe, dignified and unhindered return of all internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees to their homes in Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region.
Georgia is now granting refugee or humanitarian status to 95 percent of asylum seekers from Syria and Iraq, who have escaped the violent regime of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), Georgian officials say.
Georgia is offering housing to about 500 refugees from eastern Ukraine who were forced from their homes by ongoing conflict.
Hundreds of Georgian people displaced by conflict and violence who live in collective centres have been gifted apartments in their name for symbolic price of one GEL.
Ukraine is stepping up its support for Georgia’s territorial integrity and is implementing its non-recognition policy of Russian-occupied regions of Georgia.
The European Union (EU) is recognising Georgia's "good progress” in combatting torture and ill-treatment, and particularly noted recent efforts had led to an improvement in prison conditions and the treatment of prisoners.
Six repatriated families who returned to Georgia from neighbouring Azerbaijan are now the proud owners of homes that were gifted to them by the Government.
The Government of Georgia has proposed legislative changes for improving the humanitarian, social and economic conditions of the populations in Georgia’s Russian-occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia).
The aim of the initiative is to improve cooperation across the occupation line.